Friday’s kiln opening revealed fifteen new jug birds and the five plates painted earlier by Eric, Sally and Katie. Most of my birds are the completion of  the YVR Crafthouse order, so I’ll take twelve out to the airport tomorrow. But I am happy to study my three new designs, a magpie, a kingfisher and a gannet. Here are photos of them and the photos I used for inspiration.

We used to see magpies often in England and it was nice to see them again when I was in Medicine Hat. They don’t come out here to the coast.

Although my magpie is really only a jug with a ‘feet’ base I decided that the strong black and white shapes would allow people to recognize the bird.

I chose another English bird, their Kingfisher as inspiration for a jugbird.

This one is a taller shape with a pointed bill and I do enjoy the bright teal, turquoise and orange on him. Again, I hope the colours make him recognizable.

The third new bird I chose to make is a Gannet.

We were taken to a fantastic Gannet colony on the West Coast of New Zealand’s North Island, not far from Auckland. The thousands of white birds with their distinctive orange heads and black wingtips make an amazing, captivating sight as they fly en masse over their rocky headland home.

My friends in Shetland may enjoy seeing a Gannet jug too.

I’ll add those three to my collection to take to Primavera soon now.

There were two other new shapes, nameless birds with more of a birdy shape. See below.

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